Study: 67% of Respondents Oppose U.S Online Gambling

While a number of U.S states look to expand gambling in order to generate additional revenues and create further jobs for the state's residents, a new national study has shown that 67% of respondents are opposed to changing the law to allow customers to places bets online, while 53% of respondents are also opposed to legalising sports betting in all states.

Conducted by New Jersey's Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Poll, the study showed that two-thirds of respondents (67%) opposed changing the law to permit people to place bets over the Internet, with men twice as likely as women to support a change, 29% versus 14%, and liberals more likely than conservatives to favour Internet betting, 27% against 18%.

A majority (53%) also opposed legalising sports betting in all states. Again, males (45%) were more likely to support the measure than females (34%), while those in the 18-29 age category support the change more (57%) than those in older age groups.

A majority (54%) say legalised sports betting is a bad idea because it promotes too much gambling and can corrupt sports, while 39% agree that since so many people bet on sports anyway, it should be allowed and taxed by the government.

Younger people, liberals and those who participate in office pools are more likely than others to think it should be legalised and taxed.

"Keep your eye on these numbers," added Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll. "If some states allow sportsbetting and profit by it, other states will want to follow."

The study also showed that Americans' views of the local impact of casinos were not favourable with 46% saying casinos have a negative effect on the local community, while 38% said they had a positive effect.

Fairleigh Dickinson University's survey research group, PublicMind, conducted the poll of 1,001 randomly selected adults nationwide by telephone from Jan. 22nd through Feb. 4th 2010.